How does Canada’s minimum wage compare?

A recent report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revealed how Canada’s minimum wage compares to other developed countries – and it doesn’t look good.

Sitting in ninth position, Canadians on minimum wage can expect to take home $6.95 an hour – that’s after tax and other deductions are taken into account, along with the cost of living.

Here are the top five countries, with their equivalent minimum wage in Canadian dollars.

Australia – $9.24

Luxembourg – $8.95

Belgium – $8.30

Ireland – $8.19

France – $7.98

Eight countries, including Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, were not included in the report because there are no set national rules on minimum pay – many of them have strong labour unions and established arrangements for collective bargaining which means governments don’t have to step in.

The OECD report shows that in Australia – the most generous nation – a single minimum wage worker with two children would have to work just six hours a week to lift themselves above the poverty line because they would also receive state benefits.

"They have a high minimum wage and interestingly they have a low tax burden," said Herwig Immervoll, the author of the OECD report. "[Australians] recognize that supporting low wage earners through the tax system is important."

While Canada is far from a top performer, it could definitely be worse – bottom-of-the-list Mexico has a minimum wage equivalent to 97c.

This article should have included more relavant information, like that Canada let's the Provinces set the MW. Also I feel the actual MW should have been shown e.g. BC $10.25 - QC $10.55 http://www.retailcouncil.org/quickfacts/minimum-wage What about comparing to our closest neighbour? Article could have been more useful with more information.